Switch for overhead tracks.



No. 794,367. PATENTED JULY 11, 1905. E. MARI. $WITGH FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 1, 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIG I I1? FIG IE Win25; M72 y PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

E. MARI. SWITCH FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS. I

APPLICATION FILED DEO.1, 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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XX %M NITED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SWITCH FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS- SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,367, dated July 11, 1905.

Application filed December 1, 1904. Serial No. 235,117.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNESTO MARI, a subj ect of the King of Italy, residing at Buenos Ayres, Argentina, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Switches for Overhead Trac (s; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference designate the same parts in the several views, Figure I represents a birds-eye view of the said switch according to my invention, the rail 8 being in positionfor use. Figs. II and III are sections taken on lines I II and III IV, respectively, of Fig. I. Fig. IV is a side view of the design shown in Fig. I, and Fig. V finally represents another birds-eye view with rail 7 in position for actual use.

In carrying out my invention I provide two pieces of rail or other suitable material, (of any suitable section, but shown in the drawings as rectangular,) one of them being straight, 1, and the other curved, 2, forming an angular opening between each other of ninety degrees and being joined by means of a flat portion 3, the whole forming a quad rant, said portion 8 carrying on one side shaft 5, around which pivots the said quadrant. The extremes of rails 1 and 2 slightly project over the outer end of portion 3, forming a small recess 4, allowing the passage of the projecting part of the car-wheel when passing the switch. The base or seat of the quadrant being fiat rests on the equally-flat surface of upper part of portion 6, secured to it through shaft 5, around which it rotates to the extent of ninety degrees. (See Figs. Iand V.) This portion 6 is of cast metal and se cured to one of the rails of the track which carries this switch (in this case rail 7) by means of bolts or rivets 28, the respective rail being prepared beforehand for that purpose. Said rail 7 is provided with a rectangular opening, (its angles being numbered 23 24 25 26 in the accompanying drawings,) which serves to allow the passage of the quadrant during its rotation, the upper fiat part of portion 6 reaching only as far as the level of line 25 26 of the opening in said rail 7. The cast-metal por tion 6 isprovided at the side opposite to the one touching rail 7 with two ears 9, through which passes a sliding bar 10, which has near its center a small vertical shaft 11. One of the extremes of said shaft 11 is jointedly connected to arm 12, the other end of this arm 12 being jointed, by means of bolt 13, to the flat portion 3 of the quadrant, so that the distance between points 11 and 13 remains always the same, as these points, although jointedly connected to their respective parts, cannot alter their established position. The bar 10 is provided on one ofits extremes with another small shaft 14, carrying a jointedly-connected rod 15, the other end of said rod 15 being jointed to bolt 17, which is secured to a fiy-wheel 16, rotating on an axle 18, secured to a vertical projection 29, carried by the cast-metal frame 6. Said flywheel is provided with two groovings, in which run independent of each other the two cords or chains 20 and 21.

In order to describe the operation of my new apparatus, I shall presume the switch to be in the position shown in Fig. Vthat is, rail 7 being in actual use. In order to turn the switch for use of rail 8, cord 20 is pulled downward, rotating fly-wheel 16 in opposite direction to the one indicated by the arrow in Fig. IV, bar 10 moving in direction of the arrow in Fig. V by means of connecting-rod 15, and thereby moving shaft 11, and this last one operating on shaft 13 through arm 12, forcing the quadrant to turn on its axle 5 (see Figs. I, II, and V) until the bar 10 has finished its complete stroke, points 14 and 17 being in line E F and the quadrant occupying the position shown in Fig. I-that is to say, the extreme 27 of curved rail 2 being in front of extreme 27 of rail 8 of the track to which the switch is applied. Cord 20 being pulled downward, cord 21 rolls itself around flywheel 16 to the same extent as the other is rolled off, as both are joined to the same wheel in opposite direction, and, vice versa,

when cord 21 is unrolled. In order to bring the switch back to its original position, as shown in Fig. V, in which the rail 7 is the one in actual use, cord 21 is ulled downward, rod 15 pushes the bar 10 in direction of the arrow in Fig. I, and shaft 11, being fixed to said bar 10, carries With it the arm 12, which makes the quadrant pivot on its axle 5 by means of bolt 13 connecting both jointedly until shaft 10 has completed its movement, point 17 being at 19, as shown in Fig. IV.

In order to prevent the switchfrom opening by itself through any heavy blow given accidentally to rail 1 or 2 of the quadrant, thus occasioning the running off the track of the car, my ap aratus is so constructed that when the switc puts rail 8 in use points 14 and 17 are in line E F, as before said, the joint 17 of rod 15, together with fly-wheel 16, passing somewhat beyond this line, rod 15 being in the position shown in Fig. IV. Through this slight overpassing of the centers the quadrant will remain locked and flywheel 16 will not move in direction of the arrow, no matter how strong the blow may be which is given to curve 2. Stop-lugs 22 are provided to avoid all movement in the contrary direction. The same provisions are made at point 19 when rail 7 is the one in actual use.

Numerals 23 to. 27 correspond to the extremes of rails 1. and 2.

This switch is specially adaptable for all classes of suspended tracks of rails, cables, or other suitable material such as are employed in installations of steamships for the transport of ammunition, coal, &c., as also in inlines, frigerating establishments, and the Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with three stationary converging track portions, of a pivoted plate carryinga straight track-section and a curved track-section, a sliding bar connected with said plate, a wheel having a crank-pin, and a rod connecting said bar with the crank-pin.

2. The combination with a rail 8, of a rail 7 having an opening cut therein, a frame 6 secured to said rail 7, a plate 3 pivoted on said frame and located in the opening in the rail 7, a, straight track-section 1 and a curved track-section 2 on said plate, a sliding bar 10 for actuating said plate, a wheel 16 having a crank-pin connected with said bar, and cords for rotating said wheel in opposite directions.

3. The combination with three stationary converging tracks, of a flat plate carrying straight and curved track-sections, a sliding bar, a link pivoted to said bar and plate, a grooved wheel having a crank-pin, a connecting-rod pivoted to said crank-pin and said bar, and cords for imparting to said wheel a rotation of slightly more than one hundred and eighty degrees in alternate directions.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

ERNESTO MARI. Witnesses:

vF. E. MILLER, ALBERT B. SMITH. 

